Oregon Debates Capital Punishment Today

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Oregon's complicated relationship with capital punishment takes center stage this week as a House committee takes up Gov. John Kitzhaber's plea for a public vote on repealing the death penalty. Tomorrow, the House Judiciary Committee will hear public testimony on a measure to ask voters in 2014 whether to amend the state constitution with a death-penalty ban. House Speaker Tina Kotek says she wants to see more evidence the measure could pass in Oregon, although she stopped short of ruling out a vote. Democratic Rep. Mitch Greenlick of Portland sponsored the bill that he believes would pass.